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Civil war in Afghanistan
Sharbat Gula, photographed by Steve McCurry, on the famous cover of the June 1985 Edition of National Geographic Magazine. As her fate was unknown, her picture symbolised the plight of the Afghan people and became iconic for the Afghan Civil War.
Date 1978–(conflict still ongoing) Location Afghanistan Result Conflict ongoing
Casualties and losses
1,500,000–2,000,000 civilians dead

The Civil war in Afghanistan, also known as Afghan Civil War, began in 1978 and has continued since, though it has included several distinct phases.

Timeline

The Saur Revolution

Main article: People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan

April 27, 1978 A military coup d'état was led by the unified communist parties of Khalq and Parcham, after the death of one of Parcham's prominent members. President Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed along with members of his family as coup forces took the presidential palace.¹

Government collapse

Main article: Civil war in Afghanistan (1989-1992)

After the Soviet withdrawal, the Republic of Afghanistan continued to deal with attacks from the Mujahideen. They received funding and arms from the Soviet Union for several years and actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. But the government was dealt a major blow when Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leading general, defected to the Mujahideen.

Mujahideen divides

Main article: Civil war in Afghanistan (1992-1996)

After taking power, the unity of the Mujahideen evaporated and fighting began between them. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was blamed for a devastating rocket attack on Kabul, prompting Dostum to launch a campaign against him. Dostum later joined forces with Hekmatyar and fighting destroyed much of Kabul as the nation was split along ethnic lines. In 1994, the Taliban Movement was formed in southern Afghanistan with Pakistani support. It made rapid gains for the next two years against both Dostum and Tajik commander Ahmad Shah Massoud; in 1996 the Taliban took the capital.

Taliban control

Main article: Civil war in Afghanistan (1996-2001)

After the fall of Kabul, Dostum and Massoud joined forces to form the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (Northern Alliance). During this time the Taliban continued to make gains against the Alliance, eventually taking up to 95% of Afghanistan. Dostum was forced out of Afghanistan, and Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001.

See also

• Soviet war in Afghanistan
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
• Taliban insurgency

Notes

External links

• Backgrounder on Afghanistan: History of the War October 2001
• America's Jihad by William Blum
• Ending Afghanistan’s Civil by James Dobbins, The RAND Corporation, Testimony presented before the House Armed Services Committee on January 30, 2007
• Fueling Aghanistan's War-Press Backgrounder

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 3 December 2008, at 21:06.

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